I walked by a shop window, and when I realized that the reflection in the glass was me, I was stunned. I had to do a double-take. Who was that woman with rounded shoulders? I spend hours at my computer, constantly bending forward to read or write something. I have done extensive study, through the…
New Year, New Start: Making the Most of 2022
Here it comes again, another farewell to the old and a ringing in of the new, that day when we break out the calendar and fix our eyes on January 1, we dream our dreams, and possibilities seem within our grasp. This is the season when we make our resolutions: to lose 20 pounds or…
Open Hearts Have Open Hands
When we’re generous, it’s generally something we do to benefit another’s well-being, but paradoxically, it increases our well-being as well. Being generous significantly boosts our mental health and sense of accomplishment in life. Besides all that, it feels terrific. Generosity Is a Lifestyle The Cambridge English Dictionary defines generous as “willing to give help or…
The Simplicity Cycle
Simplifying your life isn’t a one-time project that you can finish and be done with; it’s actually a continuous cycle. At least that’s what I’ve found in my many years of simple living. I’ve downsized numerous times, in all areas of life, and I keep coming back to the process of simplifying. The simplicity cycle…
How Incorporating Mindfulness Into My Morning Routine Has Made Me a Better Entrepreneur
By Mauricio Umansky When speaking with fellow entrepreneurs about how to build a successful career, one of the first things I mention is the importance of mindfulness in your daily life. Being mindful, intentional, and present can help set you up for success for every role you have in life—be it a parent, wife, husband,…
Living on Spanish Time
The way I viewed time changed in 2007 when I quit my desk job, threw some essentials in a large suitcase, and moved 5,000 miles east to a town I’d never heard of in southern Spain. I arrived in Jaén with only one real responsibility: teach English. But I brought my own to-do list, of…
The Joy of Serendipity
There are some moments in life that feel like heaven on earth. The particular experiences I’m thinking of can’t be manufactured or demanded, and so they always arrive as a happy surprise. I call this the joy of serendipity. Joy: marked by a feeling of great pleasure and happiness Serendipity: an unexpected occurrence that develops…
Stillness and Curiosity
Much of our lives is lived on autopilot. We jump from one task to another, one message to another, one meeting to another, one browser tab to another. We react in habitual ways to other people, to situations. And we justify this as the way it should be. Nothing wrong with that—but what would it…
Create a Powerful Frame for the World
The way we view life is usually invisible to us, and yet it’s likely the most powerful thing in our lives. For example, one person might hear the words of another person and feel incredibly hurt, stressed, or angry. It ruins their entire week. Another person might hear the same words and feel compassion and…
Practicing With the Complaining Habit
We can often spot complainers—when it’s other people. They’re the kind of people who always seem to be complaining, negative, stuck in victimhood. It’s harder to see it when we’re the ones who are often complaining. And in fact, in my experience, most of us are in the habit of complaining, either out loud or…
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